Crown of Flames

xxx

"Warrior."

The sorceress spoke in a low, silken voice, imbued with deep magic. Battosai could feel her eyes, as she circled slowly around him. The unnatural hush in the great hall only added to his growing sense of foreboding. He had fought magic users before, but the ki emanating from this woman was immense. He knew that he had no chance, being a mortal. Even his superhuman abilities granted to him by Hiten Mitsurugi were no match for the likes of an enchantress of her caliber.

As if to confirm what he already knew, her alarming presence was beside him before he could sense her movement. Her lovely voice whispered into his ear, stirring several deep emotions within his heart.

"You have acted out of turn."

So stating, she materialized before him, on the lowest step leading to a grand throne; the throne of the goddess, the chosen seating place for the Ruling Sage. Fey of her family line had sat upon this very throne for millennia. Battosai knew this, as everyone knew that the Yukishiro family exercised the greatest mystical powers ever known. But knowing this had not stopped him from acting against their wishes. And even now, standing before his judgment, he could not bring himself to regret it.

Yukishiro-sama contemplated him somberly, her black eyes roving over his stature, features, and delving into the clandestine aspects of his spirit that only Sages could see. She both was and was not surprised by what she found.

He was a slight man, of short stature and lithe build. His hair was long and black, tied in a high ponytail that reached to his mid-back. He wore no armor, save for well-worn gauntlets on both arms. His clear, brown eyes were watching her just as carefully as she watched him, though they were warier. He knew what he was up against, and what he had done. Yet, she saw no remorse, no regret. He had believed in his cause, and he still believed in it. Should she choose to set him free, he would continue to act on his own terms.

But should she choose otherwise, she would violate one of her greatest codes.

The fey were sworn guardians of the protectors of men. Himura-san had risked everything to defend those who could not do so for themselves. Even if he had disobeyed the law of the Fey, which was that mortals of Divine Practices should never ally their skills with any other than the Ruling Sage, he had done so out of the deepest regard for human life. He had seen fit to abandon his ordinance and join forces with another mortal like himself. A woman who wielded a wooden blade, in the name of the Sword that Gives Life. And together, he and Kamiya Kaoru had restored balance to a war-torn city. It was a truly noble thing they had accomplished, and now the Ruling Sage had a dilemma on her pure white hands.

Himura-san had unleashed his great power upon the world of men. He would be sought out for duels and tragedy by evil-doers, and repeatedly punished by the less benevolent Sages for disobeying his credo. Tomoe knew this, and he knew it too. Since he had acted without her sanction, he had demonstrated treason and broken the contract of her trust. He could no longer take refuge in her protection. It would mean nothing in the face of his betrayal. Even if she were to extend her protection to him, she would be pulled into the siege of battles which were sure to follow. And with her ordained station as the Ruling Sage, this was an impossibility. She could not dedicate so much time and energy to him as he would need. And without her help…it would be kinder to execute him than leave him to fight punishing battles alone.

Battosai was beginning to fidget from the prolonged silence. He wished the sorceress would just off him already, rather than drag it out. He knew the punishment for disobeying her, and accepted it willingly.

He had protected, brought peace, and had met Kaoru… That was enough for him. If there were any other way, he would gladly accept it, but as it was… He had been granted enough. It was time to face the reality of his situation.

"Himura-san, your soul is an enigma," Yukishiro-sama finally said, and Battosai breathed a slow sigh of relief. "You are a man of great character, and yet such blatant disregard for the rules. I do not have any place for you in my ranks."

"I know this," Battosai said, speaking for the first time. "And I will gladly accept my punishment for my disobedience."

"And leave Kamiya-san behind?" the sorceress questioned pointedly. He felt his blood run cool, and looked away.

"Kaoru-dono is quite capable. She will…be fine." He did not see the sympathetic expression enter into Tomoe's eyes.

"The report says that she was not happy with you once she discovered your sacrifice," she intimated with a nod of her sagely head. Her long ebony hair slid in tendrils over her shoulders, unbound. The graceful movement caught Battosai's eye, and he followed the long strands up to her face, looking into her deep raven-black eyes uncertainly. She knew much of what had transpired. He was not surprised and yet…wished that some things had remained private.

Kaoru had indeed been distraught to hear that he faced certain death for taking part in her endeavors to protect her fellow citizens. She'd scolded him and cried and then slapped him hard on his cheek. Though she had not said as much, Battosai had recognized her actions for what they were. She felt for him what he felt for her, and so he understood her despair. If she had done the same thing, he didn't know what he would do in her place. But it was a pointless thought. He had never meant to become involved with her city, or her for that matter. Love had just found them in the most unfortunate of circumstances. When he had agreed to fight by her side, he had done so because he believed it was his duty to protect no matter what the price.

The price, as it turned out, was higher than his own life. He had broken the heart of a woman he would gladly trade his own for. But the fates would have their say…

When he'd left, Kaoru had broken down in the street. He'd had no choice but to leave her crying there, and in the care of her friends. Sanosuke and Megumi-dono would take care of her in his stead until she could heal. He had faith that she eventually would. Kaoru was an impossible woman to bring down. She would be fine without him…

Yukishiro-sama was suddenly by his side again, and Battosai flinched. This time she was smiling softly, which raised the hairs on the back of his neck. She was ethereally beautiful: porcelain white skin, black eyes, a long nose, and lips the color of rose petals. But her bearing was inhuman; magic seeped from somewhere deep inside of her, and he could feel it trailing along his exposed skin like a thin, invisible fog.

"I have decided to abate your punishment, Himura-san, as gratitude for your great deeds…and so that Kaoru-chan does not need to cry for you."

Battosai could scarcely believe his ears. Perhaps he had already died…

"As you know, I cannot protect you any longer," Yukishiro-sama continued, circling around him again. He turned his head to follow her movement this time, wanting to assure himself that this was real.

"But I can grant you one final gift, if you agree to my terms."

"Anything," he said hastily, "anything to see Kaoru again and end her tears." Tomoe smiled.

"Your appearance can be changed to make you unrecognizable. I will transform you with my magic, and mark you with my seal."

"The seal of the cross?" Battosai questioned, a little demurring. To be marked meant to be easily identifiable. How would that help?

"Yes, in case I ever need to find you again," Yukishiro-sama replied archly, her smile growing. "Because, you see, if you agree to my deal, then you will also agree to give up your blade. You can never wield Hiten Mitsurugi again, with or without my permission. It is your second most identifying feature, and the one which can destroy my deception."

Battosai paused, reeling from the prospect of never using his sword again. How could he ever live in such a way?

But he had to accept.

"Agreed," he said a moment later, leaving the complicated details for later. Kaoru was waiting.

"Well then, let me be clear." Yukishiro-sama delineated her terms in full.

"By altering your appearance, you will no longer be Himura Battosai. You will forthwith be known as Himura Kenshin, a wandering samurai. You will forever sheath the true power of your style, Hiten Mitsurugi. But you may use your strength to fight another way of your choosing, so long as it is not of the Divine Practices. I am certain that Kamiya-san's Kasshin style will do quite well for you.

"But if you should ever choose to wield Hiten Mitsurugi again, I'm afraid you will suffer the consequences you now face. And I will no longer be able to help you."

"Then why the seal?" Battosai questioned again, not understanding why she would need to ever locate him.

"You are very hesitant about that, aren't you?" the sorceress wondered aloud, amused. "To be honest, I should like to find you again in case there is anything I can do to aid you, Himura-san. But only in the greatest of emergencies. You have been a loyal soldier, and are a good man. I cannot protect you indefinitely, but should you need me at a time when I am able, I will gladly come to your aid. And should you ever need to wield Hiten Mitsurugi again, I may also need to find you so that I can save you from the misery that is to follow…" She let her meaning trail into silence, knowing she need explain no further. Battosai seemed like he wanted to argue, but made no further comment.

"Let it be done," he said, with a curt nod. Tomoe dipped her head as well.

"It is already finished," she said, noting how surprised he seemed, "except for this."

She came forward and placed her hand against his left cheek. When she pulled it away, a cross mark in the form of a scar was etched into the skin. Battosai, now Kenshin, looked at her with two different colored eyes. One iris and one gold.

"Your eyes are unmatched for now," Yukishiro-sama said, stepping back to her original place on the lowest step. "They will change according to the path you choose. Gold for war and iris for peace. This is a consequence of my magic."

"I don't understand," Kenshin said, his expression of frustration quite unusual looking in his mismatched eyes. "I thought the purpose of this was to help me avoid notice. Won't others suspect me of hiding something if I stand out in such a way?"

The enchantress smiled coyly in response.

"All of the greatest fey know that the best disguise is to hide in plain sight. I assure you, you will be well-hidden this way." She laughed to herself, wondering what he'd think of his new hair color, which was as ostentatious as his other features now. Had she changed only one thing, he would have been even more conspicuous. But this way, with such radically noticeable features, no one would identify him as Battosai unless he used his sacred style. She was knowledgeable enough of the ways of men to understand this. Soon he would be too.

"If you say so, Yukishiro-sama," Kenshin replied, trying to disguise his disbelief. He could tell she still heard it anyway by the extra curl to her smile.

"You are free to go, Himura-san," she said, opening the doors behind him with a flick of her wrist. "Go and find Kaoru-san, and explain what I have done. And I fare thee well."

"Thank you," the changed man replied, with a deep and grateful bow. Then he turned and left. The large doors closed behind him, leaving Tomoe alone to wonder how the future would unfold for him.

"She gave me red hair? RED?! How am I supposed to live with this?!" Kenshin screamed to himself aloud, a little later on in his room. He had received many strange looks on his way home, which had made him very worried about how he now looked. Had the sorceress disfigured him and made him truly unrecognizable? Or were his eyes still two different colors? When would they change to just one? But when he had seen the true reason for the stares, he all but imploded from shock. He stuck out like a sore thumb with his flame-colored tresses. And in addition, his eyes still were mismatched. He couldn't help but question the fey's sanity.

"…Magicians are all lunatics," he muttered, pulling up the hood of his cloak. His ponytail was now tied at the nape of his neck to accommodate the vestment. "Kuso."

A/N: Welllllll, I'm just full of new stories these days! This particular story has three chapters, and they're all going up at once! This came about because I felt like writing a story where Kenshin gets his unique coloration from magic. I created a pretty vague universe here, which I imagine as a combination of 19th century Japan and medieval Europe. And with magic and a Grande Fey Council, or something along those lines! And just one last note, this Council is a BIG deal in this universe. They don't take any disobedience lightly...at all. So it's a really huge thing for Tomoe to extend her protection to Kenshin like this.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! _caseyedith